Red in Black
by Lazey
Summary: Takes place almost immediately after Red is dragged away Peter's dead body in Red-Handed. Heavily inspired by a RPG I have. This is my first attempt at writing fanfic. Mostly Red and Granny, but there is a lot of Snow too.
1. Chapter 1 Now with more Granny!

"Mary, there's no time."

"I know. I'll get her out of here." Mary wrapped an arm around Red and pulled her away. Red looked too shaky to walk but with Mary's support she staggered away.

Granny watched them go, eyes full of regret. Her secret had cost Red dear. Red loved that boy. Granny had hoped that she could keep Red from doing anything foolish with him. Now Granny knew she was the fool.

Mayor Tomkin's new hunting party came out of the trees and into the bloody campsite.

_All right you old fool,_ Granny bitterly thought to herself, _Get yourself out of this one._

Granny wished she could have run with Red and Mary, but she was not as young as she used to be. Once she could outrun a stag, but those days were over. It was too late to run. Granny picked up one of the lanterns.

The hunting party was looking over the campsite, one brave hunter took one look at Peter's mangled corpse, turned away and got sick. Granny did not think any less of him.

"Widow Lucas." Tomkin hailed her. "What happened? What are you doing out here?"

"Foolish children wanted to hunt the Wolf by themselves." The lie came quickly to Granny. "I got wind of what they were doing and tried to put a stop to it. Unfortunately I was too late. That's Peter, he was slain trying to protect my granddaughter." That the boy died a hero might offer some comfort to Peter's father when he found out. "Her red cloak repelled the wolf, it ran away."

"Which way did it go?" Tomkin asked quickly.

Granny wordlessly pointed towards the river. The hunting party could spend hours searching up and downstream trying to find tracks. It would give Red and Mary plenty of time to get away.

The party eagerly ran in the direction Granny indicated, except for the man who had gotten sick. He hung back, rinsing his mouth out from a canteen and used a handful of clean snow to wipe his face.

"Where is Red?" The pale man asked.

"Away." Granny said, "I sent her away with the girl I have staying with us."

"She's a lucky girl to still be alive. Take care, Widow Lucas." The pale man hurried to catch up with the party.

Granny began following Red and Mary's trail.

* * *

_Gods, it's me!_ Red felt sicker than she had ever felt in her life and she had a terrible taste in her mouth. She still felt disoriented and confused but one thing was clear, she was the Wolf, she had killed Peter, she had killed a lot of people.

She heard men, hunters. A new hunting party assembled to hunt the Wolf.

Mary was pulling her ahead through the woods, but Red grabbed a young tree and stopped short.

"I have to go back, they're looking for me!" Red gasped.

"No Red, we have to keep moving." Mary said, tugging on Red's arm.

"I killed-" Red started to say, but then her stomach heaved. Red doubled over and vomited into the underbrush. Red was vaguely aware of Mary pulling her hair back and grabbing Red's shoulder to keep her from falling over. It took Red a couple minutes to recover.

"C'mon Red, we have to go." Mary urged, tugging on Red's arm again but gentler this time.

Red shambled after Mary. After a while she thought that she should lead because Mary had no idea what direction she was going in. But Red did not care where they went so she let Mary drag her through the forest until she caught a familiar scent. The cottage. Red had felt like a rat in a trap there, but it was home.

"The cottage is this way." Red told Mary.

Mary looked almost relieved and let Red lead her through the woods to the clearing around the cottage. Out of habit Red stamped the snow from her boots before going into the kitchen.

Red slumped at the table. Red looked around the kitchen, the bars that went down over the fireplace, the heavy bar which went over the door but now was propped up against the wall. For years Red had suspected that Granny was trying to keep her inside as much as the Wolf out. She was right, Granny was trying to keep her in - trying to cage the Wolf that was her.

Anger suddenly flared in Red. "If red repels wolves why do I have to wear this cloak if I'm the wolf?" Red asked, her hand going up to slip off the cloak.

**"NO!"** Mary's outburst froze Red with her hand upon her cloak. "The cloak is what keeps you from turning into the Wolf."

Red stared at Mary for a moment, the reached up to pull her hood over her head and tied her cloak about her neck. In her head Red heard Granny's sharp voice _Wear your hood!_ echoing Mary's explanation. "Why do you know all this, Mary? Why could Granny tell you all of this but _never told me_?"

"I don't know." Mary sighed. "She said it was a terrible burden... She used to be a Wolf too, but I guess it goes away with age. That Wolf she talked about at the meeting, she said it was your grandfather, that he Turned her. That it passed onto your mother and then onto you."

"My mother... she told me a Wolf killed her. So when the hunters killed the Wolf... Gods." Red closed her eyes. She wondered what else her grandmother had lied to her about, or when Granny had ever told her the truth. "She has lied to me all my life."

Red heard the crunch of boots in snow. "Someone is coming-" Red half rose from the table, then she caught the scent and relaxed. How long had she been identifying people by scent without realizing it. "It's Granny."

* * *

Granny closed the door and tried to put the bar in place by herself, it was too heavy but Mary moved in to help her with it. With the door secure Granny spoke.

"They're searching the whole forest for the wolf, but they don't know it's you. They won't figure out what really happened." At least Granny hoped so. As Granny talked she got a bottle of brandy from the cupboard and three tumblers. She poured them each a drink and left the bottle at the table. Granny looked at Red, the girl was slumped at the table looking heartbroken. Granny felt sick with guilt, it was all her fault. "Red, I'm sorry." Sorry felt inadequate. "What happened was my fault, not yours. I should have told you long ago instead of trying to keep it from you."

Red never drank much or often, but she picked up her tumbler and drank it down in three gulps. Her eyes watered but Granny knew it was not from the burn of alcohol. "You should've told me, Granny."

Granny refilled Red's tumbler. "I should have told you back when you first started to change. I was a fool."

"You were worse than a fool, Granny!" Red drank the second brandy nearly as fast as the first one. "You should have told me back when it was just sheep and cattle! Why didn't you tell me after I killed the hunting party? You let me kill Peter! Why did you hate him so much to let me kill him? I loved him! We were-" Red choked on a sob.

"I didn't hate the boy, and I never wanted you to kill him. I just didn't want you making any mistakes you'll regret." Granny hated herself. "I had hoped fear of the wolf would have kept you inside."

"You were the one making a mistake!" Red pitched her empty glass into the fireplace where it shattered. As the fire sputtered Red stomped off to her bedroom and slammed the door behind herself.

Granny heard Red throw herself on her bed and she sound of her sobbing. Red was right. Granny had made a mistake and it was Red who would have to suffer the most for it. Red had every right to be angry. Granny turned to Mary, who had been hiding in a corner as if she were trying to become invisible during the confrontation. "She won't be wanting to see me, but I fear she might try something desperate."

Mary nodded quietly and slipped into Red's room.

* * *

Red felt as if her life was no longer worth living and may have done something desperate if not for Mary. Though Red had not known Mary for long and that her name was fake, Mary proved to be a true friend, like the sister Red never had. Mary spoke comfortingly and stayed beside Red until Red finally fell asleep around dawn.

It was around noon when raised voices woke Red. Red felt something on her shoulder. By turning her head slightly Red saw that Mary had fallen asleep next to her, her cheek resting on Red's shoulder. Red remembered what happened to Peter and grief washed over her again. Tears filled her eyes, she turned from Mary, gently extricating her shoulder from under Mary's head. She heard the raised voices again, they sounded like they were coming from the yard.

"The girl is devastated with grief, she is not seeing anyone right now." That was Granny's voice.

"Widow Lucas, I know more happened at the camp than you said and your granddaughter was there so she knows exactly what happened." Red recognized the voice of the mayor.

Red slipped out of bed and crept to the window. She could smell others besides the mayor and Granny, the hunters from last night! Red opened her shutters enough so she could see the yard, where Granny stood with her crossbow in her arms before the village mayor and a group of red-eyed hunters.

"Red knows nothing more than I told you. She was in the camp when the wolf attacked, Peter defended her so she could get away, she was lucky to escape with her life." Granny said. "I won't have you upsetting the girl further by making her talk about it with you."

"There were chains." The mayor said sharply. "The boys remains were in chains. What the hell was he doing chained up?"

"He wasn't chained up." Granny lied. "He was trying to use the chains as weapons when he defended Red from the wolf, his body must have been tangled in them after the wolf killed him."

"A likely story." The mayor snorted without humor. "Then how do you explain how the only wolf tracks we found were in the camp- we scoured the area but found no wolf prints coming or going into the camp."

"The wind and your own feet obscured the tracks." Granny said. "Your poor tracking skills probably saved your life last night, I told you to leave that wolf alone."

"You are too eager to tell us not to hunt the wolf and you seem to know an awful lot about wolves. The other night the hunting party was practically killed in your backyard but none of your chickens are ever taken." The mayor lowered his voice but Red could still hear him. "There is something else going on here, some dark magic. It's the only thing that can explain the wolf appearing like it did in the camp last night. Your granddaughter summoned it."

Some of the hunters behind the mayor looked awkward at his last statement, but several of them looked determined.

"I've never heard anything so ridiculous!" Granny said. "Now get off my property before I put an arrow through one of you."

Granny aimed her crossbow directly at the mayor's belly, her finger on the trigger. Red put her hands over her mouth. Granny was outnumbered and could not possibly fire off more than one bolt before being overcome.

"Tomkin, you've been up most of the past two nights." One hunter mumbled. "Maybe you're wrong. Let's go... Wolfstime is over for now... Let's just go home."

Tomkin glanced back at his men, none of them looked like he wanted to take a crossbow bolt in order to defy Granny. He turned back to Granny and glared at her.

"Fine, we'll go. But don't think you or Red is getting away with anything."

Red breathed a sigh of relief as the Mayor and his party left. Granny continued to hold her crossbow trained on the mayor's back until he disappeared in a curve on the trail to town.

* * *

Red met Granny in the kitchen.

"Granny, I should go turn myself in, tell them what happened." Red said.

Granny's face turned gray, she grabbed Red by the shoulder. "No." Granny said firmly. "No. Don't you know what they'd do to you?"

Red started to cry. "Kill me? Gods, I wish they would."

Granny vehemently shook her head, shook Red a little. "They're so mad right now they will probably torture you to death, burn you alive. Girl, you don't deserve that."

Red tried to reply but all she could do was sob. She did not think any torture could hurt as bad as she was feeling already over Peter.

"This is all my fault." Granny released Red's shoulders to envelop her in a hug. Her voice became thick with regret. "No one would have gotten hurt if I told you when you first changed. This never should have happened to you. I'm so sorry, Red."

Sometime later Mary woke up. A couple eggs were fried up for lunch but Red had no appetite. She only picked at her eggs.

Granny sewed two sheets together then stuffed them with dry straw. It was put on the floor next to the kitchen fireplace. A pillow, and a couple blankets were added to make it into a bed.

"It's not the best, but it's better than sleeping with the chickens." Granny told Mary.

After the dishes were washed, dried and put away Granny announced that she was going into the village to see how everyone was reacting to the mayor's new suspicions about the wolf.

After Granny left Mary locked up the cottage according to Granny's instructions. Red curled up in her bed under her cloak and tried not to think about Peter.

* * *

"I think I hear Granny." Mary said as she poked her head in Red's door.

Red did not want to get up but she did. She went to the door and caught the scent of Granny. She lifted the bar and opened the door. Granny came inside looking grim.

"How is it?" Mary asked after the door was closed and barred again.

"About half the people I saw thought the mayor was being a fool grasping at straws." Granny hung up her cloak. "The rest, even they are divided. A lot of them thought there was something magical about the wolf even before the mayor last night. But not all of them think you are behind it, Red."

"But some do." Red said quietly. "And they're right."

"They're wrong. You never hurt anyone on purpose, you could not help it because you didn't know. But it's never happening again because you know better now and will wear your cloak." Granny said.

Red thought the world would be a safer place without her. She looked down at her hands.

"Is there anything else?" Mary asked.

Granny hesitated, then said. "They are burying him tomorrow."

Red looked up.

"I can't force you to not go, but I wish you wouldn't." Granny said.

"I have to go!" Red said. "Peter..." It hurt to say his name now. "I _loved_ him."

"I know." Granny said. "The people in town never had any love for the boy, but now that he's dead the damned fools are going to use his death to rally together another hunt for the wolf. The mayor already suspects you had something to do with what had happened. It's not going to be a funeral, it will be a parody of one with a bunch of damned fools grabbing spears."

"I am going." Red insisted.

Granny sighed. "You don't own anything black, but your mother had a black dress that you might fit. Wolfstime is over so you won't need to wear your red cloak tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

Granny had altered the black dress, but it still did not fit Red very well. Red did not remember her but apparently Red's mother had been heavier set- that is when she was human and not a wolf being killed by a hunting party. Now that Red understood what her cloak really did she felt naked and exposed without her red cloak. But red is not a color to wear to a funeral.

Simple stone and wooden grave markers poked out of the snow. A crowd of villagers stood huddled under dark cloaks in a corner of the cemetery. Even before Red had entered the gate she could smell the churned up earth and blood.

Many of the villagers gave Red suspicious looks that she tried to ignore but moved aside enough for her, Granny and Mary to approach the freshly dug grave. The frozen earth had been hard to dig through, picks and shovels leaned against the pile of snow that had been cleared from the grave site. The grave was shallow, and shorter than it should have been. Red looked at the coffin and suddenly felt like she was going to be ill.

Peter was not being buried in a coffin, it was a small pine box scarcely half the size of a proper coffin for a grown man. But Peter was in that little box, Red could smell him... and his blood. Red reached for Granny and felt her grandmother's arms wrap around her. Red could not look anymore, she bowed her head and closed her eyes until she heard the mayor's voice.

"This is a tragedy that I did all in my power to prevent. As mayor I regret this boy's death, and take little comfort in knowing that we are closer to catching the wolf - and the one responsible. Next month **there will be no wolfstime.**"

Red felt a chill creep up her spine. She looked up and through her tear-blurred eyes saw that the mayor was looking directly at her. She felt Mary squeeze her arm.

"We are not going to wait for the next full moon for the wolf to come to us killing our cattle and people - we are going to get the wolf before it can strike!" The mayor shouted. "We are going to find the beast NOW and kill it."

"She did it! The witch!" This from the blacksmith, Peter's father. The blacksmith was the biggest man in the village, stood head and shoulders above the rest, his arms and chest were thick with muscle. It was terrible to see him weeping, a giant with red eyes and shining tear trails running down his swarthy face and throat. "My boy loved her, but she called that wolf down and it killed him!"

The blacksmith's hand settled on the box's lid, his hand so large and the box so small his hand nearly covered the entire lid. "Look what you done to him!"

The blacksmith tore the lid off the box. There were sounds of gasps and retching.

Red tore herself from Granny's arms. She tried to speak but all she could get out a whisper. "I'm sorry."

Red tried to back away but the blacksmith, mad with grief, reached over and grabbed Red by the arms and lifted her from the ground.

"Look what you done to him!" The blacksmith repeated.

"Hey! Somebody stop him!" Someone shouted.

Red's survival instincts kicked in and she squirmed to get loose. Granny was pounding on the blacksmith but she may as well have been a fly, the blacksmith elbowed her aside, then threw Red down on the snow. Red's breath was knocked from her lungs. The blacksmith grabbed a shovel and pressed the blade against Red's throat.

"Call up your wolf now witch! Now that it's daylight and we're ready for it! Call it or I'll kill you!" The blacksmith screamed.

Red could not breath, she felt the shovel's gritty blade cutting into her neck. She was pressed flat against the snow trying to get away.

Whap! Granny took up the pickaxe and struck the blacksmith on the side of the head. He stumbled dazedly back, dropping the shovel. Other mourners moved in to grab his arms. Red put a hand over her throat, she could not feel any blood but it hurt. Mary helped Red back to her feet.

"Are you all right?" Mary whispered to Red.

Red nodded numbly.

Granny still wielded the pickaxe and looked like she might hit the mayor now, she was moving towards him looking furious. "Tomkin, you damned fool!"

"Granny!" Red croaked.

"You turned the boy's funeral into a circus." Granny told the mayor, then turned back to Red and Mary. "I'm sorry, Red." Granny apologized again and dropped the pickaxe.

Red let Mary and Granny lead her away from the cemetery.

* * *

The shovel only left a scratch and bruise on Red's throat. After Granny applied a strong-smelling poultice her voice was back to normal within an hour, not that she felt like doing much talking.

"This will be the mayor's last term." Granny said. "He wanted to get people stirred up, and he stirred up the grieving father when the poor man was upset enough already. The village will be through with him after that."

Red did not blame Peter's father for trying to kill her, she did not think it any less than what she deserved. However she did not want to get killed in front of Granny, and was beginning to think she did not want to die after all.

* * *

After dinner, which Red barely touched, she went to bed and lay awake. She could not sleep. She missed Peter and it hurt so much. She could no longer even cry. The house grew quiet as Mary and Granny fell asleep. Red got an idea. She got out of bed and dressed quietly. She picked up her boots and tiptoed to her window. She opened the shutters slowly, but the hinges creaked so loud Red froze, certain she had just woke the house. But after a few moments she heard nothing. Red sat on her windowsill and pulled on her boots, then hopped out the window and into the snow. The waning moon and white snow offered plenty of light to see by. Out of habit Red pushed the shutters closed.

The hinges shrieked even louder when they were shut. Red flinched and gathered herself to run. She heard footsteps run to her window and the shutters burst open.

"Red!" A whispered hiss, it was Mary. "Red, what are you doing?"

"I never got to say goodbye."

"Well if you run away in the night of course you don't get a chance to say goodbye!" Mary exclaimed.

"Sh!" Red hushed. "You'll wake Granny. I'm not running away... I meant Peter."

A pause, then "Oh... You might run into someone there, Peter's father..."

"I don't care... I need to say goodbye."

"Then let me come with you." Mary said.

"Fine... get dressed fast." Red said and waited.

Mary did get get dressed fast, however she was not as cautious as Red about waiting to put on her boots and Red heard her clunking through from the kitchen and through her room. Red could only hope Granny had gone deaf. Mary climbed out the window and reached to close the shutters but Red stopped her.

"They make too much noise." Red told her.


	3. Chapter 3

The cemetery was deserted.

"Could you wait he-" Red began then stopped when she saw movement by Peter's grave.

"What is it?" Mary asked.

"Dogs!" Red said it like a curse. She scooped up a ball of snow and flung it at the dogs. "Get away from there!"

Red ran at the grave and chased the animals away. She knelt over the grave and was relieved that the scavengers had not dug deep enough to reach Peter's body.

Mary joined her at Peter's grave. "Did they...?"

"No." Red shook her head. "But if I hadn't shown up they might have. It's not deep enough... Gods I don't want anything digging Peter up."

Red stood up and thought for a moment. There was a grain field not far from here. Every spring the farmers picked out more stones and put them in a pile. Some were heavy stones Red could use to cover Peter's grave and keep the scavengers out.

"I'm going to cover his grave." Red told Mary. "You don't have to help me, I'll be OK if you want to go back to bed."

"I'll help." Mary said.

It took several trips but they got enough rocks to properly cover Peter's grave. Whatever Mary was running away from, Red decided it was not hard labor. Her hands were not made for handling rocks and her fingers were bleeding through her gloves within the first trip to the rock pile. Mary was game though, she kept right on helping Red move rocks even after Red told her again that she did not have to help.

The eastern horizon was growing gray when Red finished arranging the rocks over Peter's grave. Red knelt beside the grave and felt her eyes growing moist.

Mary touched Red's shoulder. "I'm going to wait by the gate."

Red nodded and listened to Mary walk away. Red looked at Peter's grave marker, unlike most of the graves his was a slab or iron. His father must have beat the letters into his son's marker himself.

PETER

KILLED BY A WOLF

"I'm sorry, Peter." Red whispered. "I'm so sorry... I'd give anything to change what happened and have you back. I still love you more than anyone." Red wiped away some tears with the back of her hand. "Goodbye Peter... I hope I see you in the next life."

Red lightly touched the iron grave marker with her lips.

* * *

It was full morning as Red and Mary followed the trail back to the cottage. Red heard something moving ahead, footsteps and something being dragged. Red could also smell blood, a lot of fresh blood, that blood was not from Mary's bleeding hands.

"Someone's coming." Red hissed.

The girls got off the path and hid behind the brush lining the trail. Red eyed their bootprints going off the trail and hoped they would not be noticed, but she need not have worried. Those coming up the trail were no longer cutting for signs, they had their quarry.

It was a group of hunters, some who were in Red's yard just the other morning, but the mayor was not among them. The hunting party was victoriously taking swigs from flasks and dragging the freshly killed corpse of a wolf. The wolf's gray fur was matted with blood and had arrows and broken off shafts of spears sticking out of it like a pincushion. A red trail followed the wolf's dragged body.

"If that ain't the wolf what killed that boy we'll get that one next." One of the hunters said cheerfully to the others. "This 'un was easy enough to kill, another would be just as easy. You know the Queen has a bounty on wolf pelts? This one's torn up a bit but if we get enough dead wolves we can make a tidy profit. We can clean out the forest of these killers and get rich in no time!"

Red bit her lip and waited until the hunters were out of earshot before she dared to speak. _"Gods." _

"Maybe they'll think that was the wolf who did all the killing and leave you and Granny alone." Mary offered, though she looked rather pale herself. "Maybe they'll stop now."

Red felt sick. "You heard him, they plan to keep on killing wolves whether the Wolfstime stops or not. They plan on killing all of them."

"It's not good, but at least it will take pressure off of you and Granny." Mary said.

Red shrugged. She could not feel happy that so many innocent wolves would probably be killed because of her.

* * *

"Where were you two off to last night?" Granny asked as Red and Mary came in the door.

"Red needed to say goodbye to Peter." Mary explained. She winced as she pulled off her gloves, her fingers were swollen and bloody.

Granny got out a small jar of ointment for Mary's hands. "You didn't run into anyone?"

"Saw some hunters on our way back." Red slumped at the table. "They didn't see us, we hid. They had killed a wolf."

"Was the mayor with them?"

"No." Red said. "They plan on killing all the wolves. The Queen has put a bounty on them, I guess."

Granny said. "After a while they'll find better things to do than killing wolves, especially after they stop losing livestock."

_And hunting parties._ Red thought. She got up and went to her room. _How many have to die for me? _

* * *

Red managed to doze off for a couple hours. She was woken by a tap on her door. She could smell fried eggs and potatoes. Red had no appetite so she pretended to still be asleep.

The door opened. "Red?" Mary's voice.

Red lay perfectly still.

But Mary was being persistent. She walked right in the room and to Red's bed. "I think you're awake."

"Trying not to be." Red grumbled into her damp pillow.

"C'mon, I got you a plate of food, really good, eggs and potatoes."

"I'm not hungry."

"I got the eggs myself." Mary said, sounding almost proud of herself. "And helped Granny cut and peel the potatoes."

"Then you eat it."

"I already ate- but you've hardly eaten since..."

Red shuddered. "After that I'd rather not eat again. Ever."

Red heard the clink of Mary putting the plate down on her little table, felt the mattress sink as Mary sat on the bed.

"We're worried about you, Red."

"Shouldn't be," Red said. "You should be worried about everyone else. I'm the only really dangerous wolf, but they're only going to kill the rest."

"You're not dangerous." Mary said. "Not really... You know to wear the hood so you don't turn into a wolf again."

"Doesn't undo what I did."

"You never meant to hurt anyone." Mary said.

"Doesn't make them any less dead."

"Nothing you can do can change what happened." Mary said. "Nothing you do will bring back the dead. You have to stop beating yourself up about what's done and think about your future."

"I don't have a future." Red snapped. "I killed Peter. I'm a bloodthirsty wolf that kills people."

"But you're not always like that."

Red kept quiet and pretended to be asleep. After a while Mary left.

* * *

Granny kept track of what was going on in the village, going in every other day. More wolves were being killed, which only made Red feel more guilty. Before she found out she was the wolf she could not have cared less about wolves. But now that she knew they were being killed for what she had done she felt sick inside every time she heard of a wolf being hunted down.

Red never left her room and rarely even left her bed. She only picked at her food. Red was already on the slim side so she was growing quite thin. One morning Granny was being so persistent that Red ate a couple spoonfuls of porridge to get her to leave.

Red hoped that since she ate she would be left alone, but less than an hour after Granny had taken away the bowl of porridge Mary and Granny both came into Red's room.

"Get up, girl." Granny ordered.

"No." Red said, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Get up." Granny ordered again, yanking off the blanket.

Red stubbornly curled into a ball. "I don't care if the house is on fire, I'm staying here."

"Get up, Red." Mary poked Red in the back.

"It's been over a week. Enough of this lazing about." Granny took Red by the arms and dragged her out of bed.

Red stood with her shoulders miserably hunched and her arms crossed. She glared angrily at Granny.

"We need fresh meat." Granny said. "I'm too old to be traipsing about the woods and Mary doesn't know the first thing about hunting. So you need to get your bow and arrows and go get some rabbits."

"And I'm coming with you." Mary pulled Red's boots out from under the bed. She then went over to the wall and took down Red's bow and arrows.

"You can't hunt. You hardly know the difference between rabbit and dog tracks." Red grumbled.

"I was hoping you would teach me." Mary looked so hopeful and childlike awkwardly holding Red's bow and quiver of arrows. Red sighed and shoved her feet into her boots.


	4. Chapter 4

It seemed like Mary was stepping on every fallen twig, brushing against every low branch. Red did not care if Mary scared off all the game in the woods, Red really did not feel like hunting. Red smelled rabbits before she found their tracks. Two small paw prints together in the middle with larger prints kicked on the sides and slightly behind. Red held up her arm and Mary stopped stomping around.

"Those are rabbit prints, right?" Mary asked in a whisper.

So Mary had learned something of tracking while they had hunted for the wolf. Red nodded. "I can smell a couple of them, you probably can't learn to track by scent... But they're not far."

It felt good to be out in the woods, getting some fresh air, but Red still did not want to kill anything. The thought of drawing blood made her feel sick. However Mary wanted to learn how to hunt. Red hesitated a moment, then offered Mary her bow.

Mary tilted her head. "You want me to shoot?"

"Do you know how?" Red asked.

"I had a toy bow as a child..." Mary said. "But I don't think I could hit anything."

"I really don't feel like killing anything today, Mary, not even a rabbit." Red admitted. "But Granny doesn't care about us bringing home rabbits, does she? Not as much as she wanted me to get out of bed."

"Ok, she did just want to get you out of the cottage like a living person... But I really do need to learn how to hunt. Will you teach me?"

"Let's see if you can shoot first." Red slipped the quiver of arrows from her shoulder. "Here, try to hit that tree over there."

Mary picked out an arrow, nocked it on the bowstring, drew back and aimed. Red could tell that Mary's stance was wrong, but by the time Red noticed it was too late, Mary released the arrow - and got smacked by the bowstring as the arrow went flying. The arrow did hit the tree though, sideways, the shaft shattered.

"Ow!" Mary gasped, clutching herself.

Red gave her a sympathetic smile. "After you work on your form the string won't hit you. Are you all right?"

Mary paced in a small circle, still holding herself where the bowstring hit her. "Yeah... It just stings."

Red went over to the tree the arrow hit and found the broken off arrowhead, she put it in a pouch on her quiver. The rest of the arrow was good for nothing but kindling now. Red shouldered the quiver. "Let's go back to the cottage, I have some arrows you can practice with."

* * *

Red taught Mary how to shoot a bow and throw a spear. Mary turned out to be something of a natural at throwing a spear, within a few tries Mary was hitting targets.

For a few hours Red was happy. She was not grieving Peter and forgot about being the Wolf. Mary even managed to get Red to laugh.

When it came time for supper Red had an appetite. There was no meat on the table but plenty of eggs and potatoes. Granny smiled at Red as Mary cleared the plates. Red shrugged.

* * *

But of course Red could not forget forever. As the sun set and it grew dark Red fell to thinking about being the wolf again. She went to her room, opened the shutters and looked out at the sky. The moon was only half full, weak and harmless. Wolfstime was still over a week away. The Mayor said he was going to strike before the next Wolfstime, get the wolf before it can hurt anyone again. Red wondered what he was going to do. She hoped Granny would not get hurt. Red still thought the world would be a safer place without her, but she did not want to die. Red heard a knock at her door.

"Come in." Red called, leaning on her window sill.

"Are you ok?" Mary asked.

Red shrugged. "There's still over a week until the next wolfstime. I was just wondering what the mayor is going to do."

Red heard Mary close the door, walk in and sit down. "Granny hopes it will all blow over."

"I'll still be the wolf." Red said.

"Not if you wear your cloak." Mary said. "You're not like the wolf at all when you're human. You're not dangerous, you don't hurt anyone. The mayor has no reason to hurt you if you don't let the wolf take over."

"I don't deserve to live." Red heard Mary's quick intake of breath, and continued. "Don't worry, Mary, I'm not going to kill myself or anything like that. I don't plan on letting the mayor and his followers kill me either. But really, I don't deserve any mercy. I've killed so many people and even before that I ruined so many lives by destroying their livestock, people have starved because of the Wolf, because of me. What good can ever come out of me?"

"That was the Wolf, Red, you're a good person." Mary came over to the window. "You took me in when I was cold and hungry."

Red shrugged. "The chickens lay more eggs than we will ever eat."

"Most people would chase any thief away, no matter how much they have." Mary said. "They would not invite a thief inside."

"I needed a friend." Red admitted.

"An evil person would not make a friend." Mary said. "You're good."

"That doesn't make up for all the people I killed as the Wolf."

"What you did as the Wolf can't count against you, you couldn't help it." Mary said. "When you're Red you are good and don't hurt anyone."

Red did not feel like talking anymore, she stepped away from the window. "I'm tired, all that fresh air today, I'm not used to it."

"I'll let you get to bed then. Good night." Mary closed the shutters and headed for the door.

"Night, Mary." Red called after her.

Red got undressed and curled up in bed under the covers. She tried to brush off what Mary had said to her, but it was sinking in.

Red really was not a violent person, which was why seeing the slaughtered hunting party had her so upset. To find out that she was the Big Bad Wolf and had done such terrible things had been a great shock. During her childhood Red had heard stories from other children about wolves and the carnage they caused. Those were the stories parents told their children and great-grandchildren to make them behave. But Granny had never told Red Big Bad Wolf stories, now Red knew why. Granny had been the Wolf, and now Red was. They were monsters, but not always. Red planned to keep her red cloak on during all the Wolfstimes in the future, the Wolf was not going to take innocent lives ever again, the Wolf was never going to hurt anyone she cared about ever again.

Mary had told Red that she was good, before finding out that she was the Wolf Red had never thought of herself as evil. Red was not a saint, but she never tried to hurt anyone. She and Granny had tried to help families that were having a hard time getting by, especially after they had lost all their livestock to the Wolf, she and Granny would send them eggs, food, even chickens. A lot were too proud to accept charity, but some were grateful for what Red and Granny gave them. Red now knew those families were in that fix because of what she did, as the Wolf.

"It won't happen again." Red vowed.

* * *

Wolfstime started tonight. Red was feeling agitated, she was not sure if it was because Wolfstime was coming or just because she knew it was coming. Red had gotten irritable before the full moon in the past, but she always figured it was because of having to live her life in fear of the wolf.

"Tonight we'll board up the windows and bar the door as we always did, in case any of the damned fools come calling during Wolfstime." Granny said as she scoured the frying pan from breakfast. "They'll get suspicious if it appears we let our guard down."

"Yes Granny." Red said. Red was feeling hungry. Mary had been hunting had brought home a couple rabbits and a turkey during the past couple of weeks. But Red was craving red meat. Red looked out the window. It was still morning, the whole day ahead of her. Perhaps she would go hunt a deer, a nice rare venison steak would taste good after nothing but eggs and white meat. Mary would probably help her carry it home.

Red was about to ask Mary if she felt like hunting today when she heard boots squelching in mud and rattling metal. Granny took up her crossbow and turned to the door.

"Open it Red, and keep out of the way." Granny said.

Red hesitated.

"They've come for you. I'm not letting them. Open the door and stand back."

"You can't hurt them."

"I don't plan on shooting anyone unless I have to." Granny's face softened a little.

Red opened the door and stepped aside.

Mayor Tomkin and a couple of his closest followers were marching across the muddy yard. Red noticed that they were carrying torches and weapons even though it was not yet noon, it would not be dark for hours, Wolfstime had not yet started.

"Stop right there!" Granny ordered, her crossbow trained on what was becoming her most frequent target, Tomkin's gut. "Stay back where I can see all of you. So, what do you fools want this time?"

"We have come for Red." Tomkin announced. "We won't take 'no' for an answer this time."

"We won't hurt her." A heavy-set guy holding a pitchfork promised. "We just want to take her with us."

"No one needs to get hurt if you just give us your granddaughter."

"I'll kill you before I let you take her." To Red's horror Granny's finger was tightening on the crossbow trigger.

"You can't kill us all." Tomkin had a confident smirk. "Unless Red calls up the Wolf, and it is the wolf we really want."

"Damned fool." Granny muttered and squeezed the trigger. Red leaped forward and shoved the crossbow nose down so the bolt sunk into the mud in front of Tomkin. _"Red!"_

Red stood in the doorway, Granny was already loading another bolt on the crossbow. Red knew that Granny was ready to kill Tomkin and anyone else backing him. Red spoke fast. "What will you do to me if I do go with you?"

"We won't hurt you." Tomkin said, the bolt between his feet had wiped the smirk off his face. "The blacksmith constructed a-uh cage, but a very comfortable cage with enough room to move around, it is probably bigger than your room."

Granny was trying to pull Red back inside, but Red braced herself in the doorway. Red turned to her grandmother.

"You can't kill anyone, Granny." Red whispered. "I'm going."


	5. Chapter 5

Granny tried to hold her back, but Red shook off her hands and stepped outside.

"You're doing the right thing, Red." Tomkin produced a coil of rope from a bag.

"Red might be going with you- but you are not tying her up." Granny snapped at the mayor. "And I'm coming with her to make sure that no one so much as lays a finger on her."

Granny wielded the crossbow menacingly. Tomkin returned the rope to his pouch. Red was relieved, willingly going into a cage should be adequate, she did not want to get tied up too.

"Keep your hood up," Granny fussed, adjusting Red's hood over her head. "You know red repels wolves."

Red expected Granny to go with her to the cage, but what surprised her was Mary also coming out of the cottage and walking to Red's other side, her white lacy scarf pulled over her nose. Red gave Mary a questioning look, wasn't Mary hiding from someone?

Tomkin's men surrounded them and they followed the muddy path into the village. Red had not been to the village since she and Mary covered Peter's grave with stones. They passed the cemetery, Red looked and spotted Peter's grave, it looked undisturbed, the stones had kept out the scavengers. Red felt her eyes fill with tears and for a moment she entertained the thought of removing her cloak tonight, showing the village who the Wolf is and letting them send her to Peter.

Mary lightly nudged Red in the ribs and Red looked at her, all Red could see of Mary's face were her eyes but it was easy to read the concern in them. Red blinked hard and pulled herself together.

After the cemetery they passed a few cottages, young people Red's own age lived in those cottages, she grew up with them and used to think of them as friends. Red thought she saw movement behind the shutters but no one came outside or called to her. Red looked own at her muddy boots until they reached Mayor Tomkin's house.

Tomkin's house was not much bigger than the other cottages in the village, and looked the same as every other cottage, except for the large cage in his yard. Peter's father stood at the open door of the cage, his eyes were bloodshot and empty looking. There was a red healing scar on the side of his head where Granny had hit him with the pickaxe.

"Get in there you little witch." The blacksmith said. "When your wolf comes we're gonna kill it, and then we're gonna kill you!"

Red could not look at Peter's father so she looked at the cage. It was big but smaller than her room, not much bigger than her bed actually. The crossed bars were thick and made of iron. Granny had walked close to Red the entire way, almost touching. She took Red's arm.

"Red, you don't have to go in there." Granny said.

Red shook her head and slipped her arm from Granny's grasp.

The giant blacksmith moved forward as if to grab Red. Granny pressed her crossbow against him, the bolt poking his ribs. "Don't touch her." Granny growled.

"Go ahead and kill me like your granddaughter killed my boy." The Blacksmith said hollowly. "He loved her but she killed him!"

"Don't Granny." Red pleaded, Granny slowly lowered her crossbow.

Red went into the cage. Within her first step inside she already felt claustrophobic. Before Red could turn around the door was slammed shut.

"Call up your wolf, witch. Call up your wolf and we'll kill it, then we'll burn you like you'll burn in hell." The blacksmith gestured to firewood being arranged to make a large bonfire. Red shuddered.

"Red is no witch!" Granny shouted. "And she had nothing to do with that Wolf. You're all a bunch of fools."

"That boy was chained, and there were no wolf prints going into or leaving that camp." Tomkin was getting his smirk back. "The only explanation is that Red's a witch and she called it. After tonight we'll have our Wolf problem taken care of once and for all. May as well get that fire lit so it's ready when I'm proven right."

"That does it- everyone move away from the cage!" Granny ordered. Tomkin may be the mayor but Granny's crossbow was taken seriously by all. The blacksmith did not move, but it was clear that the man no longer valued his life. "Don't make me shoot you."

"I'm staying right here at the door. After we kill the wolf I want to just reach in and pitch the little witch onto the fire." The blacksmith said.

Granny shot him in the thigh. The blacksmith crumpled and blood spurted from his leg wound into the cage, Red was barely able to avoid getting sprayed by it. _"Granny!" _

"Couple of you drag him away from the cage and keep him from bleeding to death!" Granny put another bolt on the crossbow and pulled it back. Three strong men reluctantly came forward and pulled the semi-conscious blacksmith away from the cage. "If anyone comes any closer they'll get a bolt put in them too!"

Red anxiously watched them remove the bolt and bind the blacksmith's wound. Red could smell that he lost a lot of blood. "You could have killed him, Granny."

"The man is out of his head." Granny said gruffly. "Tomkin was hoping for someone to get hurt just by allowing him to be here for this. It was either I wound him or he kills you whether a wolf shows up or not. I think he'll live. Keep your hood up, girl."

Mary, of course, was allowed to come near the cage and stood on the other side. Red went over to her. Mary still wore the scarf over most of her face even though it was no longer cold enough to justify wrapping oneself with a scarf. Mary was still hiding, or trying to. In the center of attention like this was no place to hide.

"I won't hold it against you if you left, Mary." Red told her. "And Granny won't either. You need to protect yourself too."

"I'm keeping an eye on you." Mary replied. "I saw how you looked at the cemetery. You aren't- are you planning on doing something that will get them to kill you?"

"I was thinking about it." Red admitted. "But only for a minute... maybe a couple weeks ago I would've shown them what I am and let them kill me and put me out of my pain." Red whispered, then shot a glance at the pyre Tomkin's followers were building. "But I don't want to be burned to death." Red shuddered. "That would kind of be the opposite of ending my pain, won't it? And I don't want to leave Granny alone, I'm the only family she has. So don't worry Mary, I'm not going to do anything stupid tonight, so you can leave."

Mary shook her head. "You might need my help."

"Thank you." Red was grateful to have one friend with her, none of the people she grew up with and called friends had even shown up. Red did not know if they were afraid of Tomkin or of her. She blinked away a tear.

"It'll be ok." Mary reached through the bars to touch Red's arm. "Granny and I won't let anything happen to you."

* * *

It did not take long for the cage to grow uncomfortable. When Red stood up straight or paced the top of her hood brushed the ceiling of the cage. The muddy ground had absorbed the blacksmith's blood but Red could still smell it and it made her feel even more anxious and uncomfortable.

Red leaned against a wall of the cage and tried to distract herself by chatting with Mary, but after having spent a month together, and Mary keeping her past a secret, there was little for them to talk about for very long.

Tension eased a little when the barber declared that the blacksmith would not die, but would be very weak for quite some time from the blood loss. The blacksmith lay pale on Tomkin's porch, occasionally uttering curses and threats that Red could just barely hear.

After noon Granny sent Mary to the cottage to pick up some food, water and blankets. When Mary returned Tomkin's men did not give her an easy time about going to the cage.

"Why should that witch have any comfort? Her wolf has destroyed farms and killed people. Let her be cold and hungry tonight!" The speaker knocked the large bundle out of Mary's arms and into the mud.

"Lever her alone!" Granny snapped.

"Who is this girl anyway? She just appeared out of nowhere, never speaks and hides her face. What's the matter with you, girl, got a harelip or something?"

Mary's scarf was grabbed and torn from her face, Mary kicked the guy hard in the shin only to get grabbed from behind by another.

"Maybe she's afraid of being kissed!" The mob was eager to have someone to target. Mary elbowed, punched and stomped on insteps.

"I said **leave her alone**!" One man was pulling Mary's hair so Granny shot him in the shoulder and loaded her crossbow with another bolt. "If you don't stop it I'll aim to kill next!"

The mob gave Mary some space. Mary picked up the bundle, which was now quite muddy and had been stomped on, and went to the cage. The girl was disheveled and her breath was quick with fright but there was a determined glint in her eyes. Red did not bother telling her that she could leave again.

"Are you ok?" Red asked.

"Yeah." Mary carefully unwrapped the bundle. The outermost blanket was quite muddy so Mary spread it on the ground, pushing about half of it between the bars so she and Red could sit down. There was a loaf of bread and some boiled eggs that had been crushed but they were still edible. The water had been in two canteens which Mary had slung over her shoulders. Mary passed one canteen into Red. Red drank thirstily but only picked at the food. Being surrounded by a mob that was planning to kill her ruined Red's appetite.

After it grew dark the bonfire was lit. Long shadows danced through the cage like demons.

"Keep an eye out men, that wolf can come at any moment." Tomkin said.

Granny stood guard at the door, her crossbow pointing at the mob. "Keep your hood up."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: **Finaly got around to writing another chapter. I've always been more into RPGs than fanfic so the delays in chapters mean that my RPG is going well._ _If you're interested in a pretty cool OUAT RPG please check out New Fairytales at rpol . net  
_

* * *

Red wrapped one of the blankets over her cloak and tried to make herself comfortable but of course sleep was out of the question tonight. She sat with her back leaning against the bars, watching the shadows flicker over Granny as her grandmother stood guard at the door. Every so often someone would hear a noise and think it was the Wolf coming, the mob would get excited and prepare for an attack, only to find nothing.

"Damned fools are jumping at their own shadows." Granny muttered in disgust as a few brave souls ventured into the trees around Tomkin's yard armed with spears and torches.

Red was beginning to feel more irritated with her captors than afraid. They were all so stupid. How could they not tell the difference between the sound of the wind in the trees and a wolf? The men who had just gone into the trees were making so much noise stumbling around Red knew that if she was out there not wearing her cloak they would not stand a chance. And how these people smelled, every last one of them stunk like they had never bathed.

A silvery light drew Red's eyes skyward. The moon was rising. Red watched it rise, transfixed.

"Red? Red!" Mary had to reach in through the bars and give Red's arm a little shake to get her attention. "Are you all right?"

"Besides being in a cage surrounded by idiots?" Red grumbled irritably, then apologized when she realized how she sounded. "I don't mean you or Granny of course... I'm okay. Just looking at the moon."

Mary glanced up at the moon but did not seem to find it as fascinating. Red did not see why Mary was not as interested in the moon. The moon was so white, so big. Red thought it seemed brighter than the sun tonight. Red felt a strange sensation deep in her throat and realized that she wanted to howl.

Well that would be a fine way to give herself away and wind up on that bonfire.

"Red? Red, look at me." Red tore her eyes from the moon to look at her grandmother. Granny had been standing with her back to the cage door to keep her eyes on the mob, but now Granny was looking into the cage. Granny was looking very concerned. "Don't stare at it."

Red wanted to look at the moon more than anything, it was so beautiful. She began to turn her head. Granny struck the bars so Red looked at her again.

"A full moon can drive you mad, especially when you're trapped." Granny whispered. "Keep your head down and your hood up."

Red closed her eyes and wished Granny had warned her against looking at the full moon before now. Her throat still tickled with a repressed howl.

"I thought the cloak took care of that too." Granny whispered.

Red opened her eyes but did not let herself look at the moon for even a second. She began to feel restless and soon tossed off the blanket to pace around her cage. She wanted out. Gods how she wanted out. Granny was right, she never should have let them put her in this cage. She was an idiot for going along with this. Red tested the door but of course it was locked tight. Granny reached in and rubbed Red's arm.

It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

With her head bent low to avoid brushing the roof and seeing the moon Red paced back and forth in the small cage, back and forth. Red grew more agitated and the cage seemed to grow smaller. Mary tried talking to Red, to pull her into a conversation but Red was too distracted.

"Granny, what did you do?" Red heard Mary whisper.

"I didn't have a cloak like Red's. I locked myself in the cellar before the moon rose every Wolfstime." Granny said in a low voice. "Tore up the place every month, sometimes I got out. I hated being locked up."

"If you had only told me, Granny, I wouldn't have to be locked up now." Red hissed. It was all Granny's fault, the cattle, the hunting party, _Peter, _and why she was being accused as a witch and locked in this miserable little cage. A furious tear ran down Red's cheek.

Granny looked around at the mob by the bonfire, then back at Red. "Now is not a good time, Red." Granny whispered. "They will hear."

"What can they do? If I take off the cloak I can tear my way out of this cage and through all of those fools." Red whispered back. She gripped the bars and rattled the cage.

Mary clasped Red's hand over the bar and steadied it. "You don't really want to hurt anyone."

Red shook her head. Another tear slid down her cheek.

"C'mon Red," Mary spoke gently. "Sit down and try to get some sleep. I'll sit with you."

Red wrapped herself in the clean blanket and sat on the blanket on the cage floor, leaning back-to-back with Mary.

"I'm not going to make it. That moon is driving me mad." Red whispered. "I'm not going to get through this... Either they're going to kill me or I'll kill them. Maybe we'll all die."

"No one is going to die." Mary said firmly. "You'll keep your cloak on so they won't hurt you and you won't hurt anyone."

Red buried her face in her hands. "You have no idea how hard this is. I am a rat in a trap."

"You'll get out soon. Try to relax."

Red shook her head. "I can't... Not with that burning down on me," Red waved a hand at the moon, "And being stuck in this damned cage with all of those idiots staring at me."

"Mary, can you find your way back to the cottage in the dark?" Granny asked.

"I think so." Mary said reluctantly.

"In the skinny cupboard on the top shelf is a small bottle, get it and bring it here." Granny instructed her.

"Okay." Mary jogged away.

"What is Mary getting?" Red asked.

"Something that will hopefully help you get through tonight." Granny said.

* * *

Red had resumed pacing by the time Mary returned with the bottle. Red recognized it, Granny kept it for medicinal purposes, Red had taken a spoonful of it herself from time to time, usually for headaches or cramps. It was strong, nasty tasting stuff, Red only took it if she really needed it. She did not see how it would help her tonight, the pain she was in was not physical. Red thought Mary had grabbed the wrong bottle but Granny nodded and took off the cap. Red wrinkled her nose, it smelled so strong.

"How is that supposed to help me, Granny?" Red asked.

"You drink it." Granny said, holding the open bottle out to Red.

Red took the bottle. It felt to be about one-third full. "How much?"

"All of it should do."

Red took a sip and she grimaced. It tasted terrible. It sloshed around in her stomach and Red wished she had eaten more earlier so she would have something to absorb it, she felt sick. She put the bottle to her lips and tipped her head back, forcing the strong liquid down her throat. It burned all the way down and made her eyes water. Finally the bottle was emptied and Red handed it back to Granny.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up. How's it supposed to help me?" Red asked.

"Knock you on your ass."

"What?" Already Red was feeling strange. She was seeing double and feeling heavy.

"Girl, you had better sit down."

"You drugged me?" Red grasped the bars and sagged against them.

"It should knock you out for a few hours, when you wake up the sun will be up." Granny said. "I'm sorry Red."

"I need to howl." Red murmured drunkenly. She looked up at the moon and started to let loose but Granny clapped a hand over Red's mouth so fast and hard Red felt her teeth cut into her lips.

"No, Red. Sit down before you fall down."

Red fell down.

* * *

Red woke with a dry mouth, pounding head and light burning through her eyelids. She groaned and covered her eyes with arm.

_"You can let her out **now** Tomkin!" _

Red tried to cover her ears with her hands while keeping her eyes covered with her arm. It did not work.

"Red, are you awake?" Mary spoke in a whisper but it almost sounded like shouting.

"I need water." Red tried not to whimper.

"Here." Something pressed against Red's arm. Red opened her eyes a crack to see the canteen. She grabbed it and drank every drop of water out of it.

"Am I... hungover?" Red asked.

"You might be." Mary said. "Whatever Granny gave you knocked you out cold."

Red sat up against the bars. She wished she had a spoonful of that nasty medicine for her headache.

_"No! We're not letting her out until she calls up that Wolf so we can destroy it!"_

Red looked across the yard to where the bonfire had all but burnt itself out. Tomkin stood with his hands on his hips, looking stubborn while Granny stood a few feet away with her crossbow held threateningly on him.

"If the Wolf was going to come it would have come last night. It's not coming. The Wolf is probably dead." Granny said. "You fools killed enough wolves to get lucky."

"I vowed that there would not be another wolfstime and I'm making sure of it." Tomkin said. "Your granddaughter goes nowhere until she gives up the Wolf."

"Red has nothing to do with the Wolf!" Granny shouted, exasperated. "She's a victim of the Wolf like everyone else in the village. Keeping her caged like some animal is cruel and won't draw the Wolf!"

"The Wolf only comes at night... We could let her go during the day and lock her up again at night." Someone suggested.

Tomkin turned to berate whoever suggested letting Red go, Granny stepped forward and pressed the bolt on her crossbow to the mayor's back. He stiffened and froze.

"Don't do anything else that's stupid, Tomkin." Granny growled. She reached down to his belt and pulled off the keyring. She tossed it to Mary who caught it. "Get Red out of here, Mary!"

Mary unlocked the cage and opened the door. Red got to her feet and staggered out. She tried not to think about the last time she had to make an escape while feeling disoriented. Mary put an arm around her and Red leaned against Mary for support. Granny backed away from Tomkin.

"Tomkin, I should just shoot you so I could be rid of you." Granny threatened once they got out of Tomkin's yard. "Stay away from my granddaughter. The next time you try to do anything to her I will kill you."


	7. Chapter 7

By the time they got back to the cottage Red was feeling a steadier. She sat at the kitchen table guzzling down water as Mary and Granny fried eggs and toasted bread. The water seemed to help Red's headache and the bread settled her stomach. In fact Red's appetite came back with a vengeance.

She found herself craving red meat again.

After eating Mary and Granny went to take naps. But when Red crept through the kitchen with her bow and quiver of hunting arrows Mary hopped up from her straw pallet asking if she could come too.

Red thought Mary might be tired from last night but she looked awake enough. "Sure. I'm hunting for deer. If I get one you can help me carry it home."

Mary got dressed quickly and got her hunting spear. She seemed excited to be going after something bigger than a rabbit. Red left a short note on the table telling Granny that she and Mary went hunting.

Then the two girls set out into the woods.

* * *

Red and Mary ventured much deeper into the forest than they usually did.

After being surrounded by people all of last night and most of yesterday Red enjoyed the freedom of the woods, far from any humans besides Mary. Red did not consider herself completely human anymore. Especially not during Wolfstime. The air was so fresh, and even with the trees and brush growing so close together it felt open compared to that cage. Red decided she was never going to let herself be locked up again. With the Big Bad Wolf gone the villagers would never have a reason to cage her. Red checked the ties of her cloak, it was not coming off until Wolfstime was over.

They came across some old deer tracks. Red showed Mary the prints in the earth, and old scars on a tree where a buck rubbed the velvet from his antlers. There was also a game trail. The deer scent was old but Red knew it would lead to deer eventually so she and Mary followed it.

Red was glad Mary had come along. Red had the feeling that Mary would not be staying with them much longer. Mary was still hiding from someone, and a lot of people saw her face yesterday. In the past month Mary's hands had callused and toughened up, she learned how to hunt, how to walk quietly in the forest, how to survive on her own. Mary was Red's friend and Red knew she would miss her after she left.

Red still did not know who Mary was hiding from but she had an idea. Judging by Mary's clothes and manners Red guessed that Mary came from money, maybe even nobility. Mary was a pretty girl and old enough to be married. Nobles do not always have the luxury of marrying for love. So Red assumed Mary was running from an arranged marriage to some man she could not stand being forced to marry.

After a few miles Red picked up a fresh scent of deer. Red gestured to Mary to be quiet, though she did not have to. She found a small herd of deer grazing on a hilltop. Red put an arrow on her bowstring and carefully began to stalk the herd, Mary coming up a few yard behind her with her spear. Red chose a buck that was a little apart from the herd, it would be easier to sneak up on without spooking. Red instinctively approached the buck from downwind.

The buck flicked its tail. Red froze in her tracks. The buck looked up, around, then resumed grazing. Red waited a second, then continued stalking. Another deer in the herd looked up, stamped a hoof. Red held her breath. Her buck's tail puffed up. Red would have liked to have gotten closer but the deer were acting spooked, if one chose to run they all would. Red was usually not so anxious about game escaping, maybe it was the Wolfstime. Red drew back her bowstring, aimed and released the arrow.

The snap of the bowstring set all the deer to running, but it was too late for the buck Red had picked out. The arrow sunk into its side, just a little behind where Red had been aiming. She missed the heart but it was still a fatal shot. The rest of the herd ran downhill, but for some reason the buck Red shot fled uphill. Red cursed her impatient shot and readied another arrow. When she had to kill something she preferred a quick, clean kill. She hated to cause any unnecessary suffering. She wished she had gotten closer before taking the shot. The buck had already gone over the crest of the hill. Red and Mary chased after it, no point in being quiet now.

When Red topped the hill she nearly fell over the other side - it was much steeper than the side they had already climbed. Red steadied herself and put out an arm to slow Mary. However the dying deer was not so surefooted, it sprayed a red mist from its nostrils and tumbled head over tail down the hill and lay still at the bottom.

"Gods." Red muttered.

* * *

The buck was mercifully dead by the time Red and Mary reached it. The sight and smell of so much blood made Red feel sick. Red closed her eyes and forced her mind away from snow red with blood.

"Do you want me to..?" Mary asked reluctantly.

"No. I can do it."

If Mary had ever field dressed a deer or seen it done Red would have let her take care of it. If Mary did not know what she was doing she would only make a mess of it and that would make Red feel even more ill than dressing the deer herself. Mary helped Red turn the deer on its back and Red had the deer guts and other undesirable parts taken out with a few careful cuts of her hunting knife.

When she was done Red looked up the hill. "Gods I wish it didn't wind up down here. It's not going to be easy dragging it home."

Red lashed the deer's legs to Mary's spear and each girl took an end. They were able to go around most of the hill and got back on the game trail.

"There's a road about a mile from here." Red told Mary. "It'll be a lot easier once we get out of the trees."

Mary nodded and wiped a bit of perspiration off her forehead with the back of her glove.

Red distracted herself from the weight of the deer carcass by thinking about how good a thick rare venison steak would taste, and maybe some sliced deer heart fried in butter. Red tried not to think about how what she was craving was probably connected to the wolf, at least no one was getting hurt.

Mary gave a sigh of relief when they finally reached the road. The deer was set down and they rested for a few minutes, passing the canteen of water back and forth.

"How much further?" Mary asked.

"A couple miles." Red said. "It'll be dark by the time we get home. Hopefully Granny doesn't worry." Red adjusted her hood. She was not taking any chances of her cloak coming off tonight. There was going to be a full moon. Red had vowed that she was not going to let the Wolf take over again. No more deaths.

"Then let's keep moving." Mary said, picking up her end of the spear.

* * *

The sun was setting and the moon rising when Red heard hoof beats. It sounded like two horses, they sounded louder than normal. A lot of heavy, rattling metal and creaking leather. The horses were coming from town.

"Someone's coming Mary, get to the side." Red warned and they got out of the road and stood at the edge. Red thought about hiding in the woods but she was tired and just wanted to go home. Being in that cage last night should have been proof enough that she was no danger to anyone. Red figured if they kept out of the way whoever it was would not notice them, much less give them trouble. Mary pulled her scarf up over her nose.

Red turned to see who was coming. She recognized one rider by smell even before she saw him clearly. It was Tomkin, the mayor. Red wished she had ditched the deer and hid in the trees. Red and Mary dropped the deer carcass and Red got ready to run.

The second rider was a stranger, he wore black armor and a helmet with strange black plumes coming off it. Red had never seen a knight before, knights had no interest in this forgotten corner of the Kingdom, but she knew he was a knight.

The two riders reined up when they reached the girls.

"And here she is!" Tomkin said to the knight. "We don't have to deal with Widow Lucas after all."

"Leave me alone, Tomkin. I'm not hurting anyone." Red said. "Remember what Granny told you?"

"We're not here for you, though I know I'm right about you. Try calling up your wolf now, he'll chop its head off with one swipe." Tomkin boasted.

Red looked at Mary. Mary pulled down the scarf, drew herself up to her full height and squared her shoulders. She addressed the knight.

"You served my father for many years. Will you pledge fealty to me?" Mary asked.

The knight laughed and dismounted. "You're no princess anymore Snow White, I've pledged myself to the Queen and she'll give me a nice bonus when I bring her your heart."

"Should kill them both to be safe." Tomkin suggested, still in the saddle. "Red is a witch, she calls up a giant bloodthirsty wolf, it killed an entire hunting party in a single night."

"Red, get out of here." Mary ordered as if giving orders came naturally to her. "Leave the girl alone, she's done nothing and knows nothing."

Red shook her head, as much from confusion as to refuse Mary's order. "No."

"Tomkin come down here and help me hold her." The knight said.

Tomkin gracelessly slid down from the horse which pawed at the ground nervously.

The knight grabbed Mary's arm and drew a dagger.

"You don't have to do this." Mary said. "Regina can keep the throne as long as she rules fairly, I'll leave her alone and am happy to keep to myself. I'll be as good as dead to her."

"The Queen wants your heart and I'm not going to disappoint her." The knight said.

Tomkin moved to grab Mary. Red decided to not let Mary try to reason her way out of this anymore. Red pulled Mary's spear from between the deer's legs and used the butt end to strike Tomkin in the shoulder.

"Run!" Red yelled, whacking the knight in the helmet. Mary got her arm loose and ran into the trees. Red dropped the spear and ran after her.


	8. Chapter 8

The girls simply ran, branches whipping their faces, brambles tearing at their clothes. Mary - her real name Snow White - began to lag behind but Red grabbed her arm and lead the way.

Red's mind raced. Clearly Mary fleeing from an arranged marriage theory was wrong. Red had heard about the King's daughter. Years ago a former minstrel from Leopold's court had come to the village. The minstrel had left the court because he had only been allowed to sing songs about Leopold's dead wife and praises for Princes Snow White's beauty. The minstrel had sang a couple of those songs in the village and they were the annoying sorts of songs to get stuck in one's head. _Skin white as snow/ lips red as blood/ hair black as ebony._ The description fit, Mary - Snow White - was still as fair as ever despite all the time she had spent outside.

But why would anyone want to kill Snow White? From all Red had ever heard about the Princess everyone adored her and she was perfect in every way. Well, Red knew now that not everything she had heard was true. Why would the Queen want to kill Snow? Didn't King Leopold marry her because she would be a good mother to Snow? And how could that knight go along with the Queen if she was so evil?

They lost the knight and Tomkin so Red stopped for a moment to decide what to do next. Snow's white cloak might have blended in a month ago, but all the snow had melted and she practically glowed under the moon. Red's hood had been brushed off by a branch so she pulled it back up.

"I'm sorry Red," Snow apologized. "I should have left or warned you before now. I didn't think she would find anyone else to want to kill me. All the knights had been loyal to my father, I just assumed they'd chose me over Regina."

"Sh." Red hushed her, she was trying to listen for their pursuers. "I don't hear them... I think they stopped following us."

"Can we get back to the cottage without taking the road?"

"Of course." Red said, but realized something. "They'll expect us to go there. Gods, they have horses and the road is quicker."

"They'll get there before us."

"What are they going to do to Granny?" Red asked.

Snow bit her lip. Red began running back to the road.

* * *

_Gods' teeth, do you need a bucket to stand on? _

_That witch spooked my horse! _

Red never thought she would be relieved to hear Tomkin's voice. Red could hear Mary stumbling through the woods after her. She continued towards the road and stopped when she could see the horses.

The knight sat in his saddle, looking impatient. Tomkin had one foot hooked in the stirrup and hopped on one foot as his horse turned in circles. It looked like they would be there a while.

"I have an idea." Red whispered to Snow when she caught up. There was an old oak tree, Red pointed up it. "Climb up there."

Snow circled the tree, "I can hardly reach the lowest branch - and it looks too thin to hold me."

That was precisely why Red chose that tree. "It should hold until you get to another branch. I'll give you a boost, then you can reach down and and help me up." The last part was a lie.

Red helped Snow up, as predicted that branch snapped but Snow was able to grab a stronger branch and pull herself up without falling.

_What was that?_

Red took off her quiver and handed it and her bow up to Snow. They were coming, Red was starting to get nervous.

"Hey Snow, if anything happens to me, you'll take care of Granny for me?" Red asked.

"Red, what are you-"

"Promise to take care of her." Red shot back. "And keep climbing, I don't think wolves can climb trees. Don't come down until... You know."

"Gods, Red!" Snow called after her, but Red was already untying her cloak.

"I hear voices! She's- oh there's the witch!" Tomkin called excitedly. "Kill her before she summons the wolf."

"Where is Snow White?" The knight demanded.

Red took off her cloak and dropped it on the ground.

* * *

Red was not suicidal, not anymore. A month ago, after she found out that she was the Wolf and had killed Peter she probably would have killed herself if given a chance. Especially that night when Snow was dragging her away from Peter's body. Red wanted to go back and turn herself in to the hunting party. But Snow would not let her, and helping Snow learn how to survive helped keep Red from dwelling on how useless her life was.

Of course no longer being suicidal was no the same as wanting to live. Red was born cursed and Peter was gone. She had hurt and killed a lot of people as the Wolf. She wanted to do something good with her life.

Her transformation from human to wolf was almost instantaneous. After Red took off her cloak she had a moment where Tomkin stared at her and she glared back at him.

"You should have left me alone, Tomkin."

Then the Wolf took over.

* * *

Granny knew Red and Mary would be away hunting for most of the day after she read Red's note. When it started to get dark and they still had not come home Granny began to worry. Did Red run into Tomkin or his men? It was still Wolfstime, what if Red lost her cloak out there?

Granny lit a lantern and got her crossbow. She set out to start looking for the girls.

Then she heard the howl and her heart sank. That could be another wolf but Granny knew it was Red.

Granny began following the road towards the sound. Two riderless horses galloped by. The horses were rolling their eyes in panic and one horse had blood on its flank that smelled like human blood. Granny let the horses run and continued following the road, her pace increasing.

Then she saw the first dead body of the night. It was a knight in black armor, his plumed helmet laying in the road beside him. Granny could smell Red on him.

"Why?" Granny whispered. She had never expected Red to take off her cloak now that she knew.

Less than a mile further down the road Granny could smell Red, and blood, a lot of blood. Granny readied her crossbow and approached carefully.

The Big Bad Wolf was eating. Tearing flesh, cracking bones, licking blood. Granny felt ill. "Oh gods Red, what have you done?" Granny asked.

The Wolf turned, standing over her kill. She growled at Granny. Granny hated to do this, but she could not let Red run around as a Wolf killing people. She aimed and fired the crossbow bolt. Red yelped and fell.

"Where is your cloak, Red?" Granny asked the unconscious wolf, looking around frantically. Red would not be down for long, in no time she would be back on her feet and savaging whatever she sees. Granny steeled herself up and took a look at who Red was eating.

Granny almost laughed with relief. She had fully expected to see Mary's torn up corpse, but instead it was a deer. Red was enjoying a bit of venison. But she still had killed that knight, and Mary was still missing.

Then Granny caught Mary's scent. She was in the woods, she did not smell far away. Granny hated to leave Red laying in the road unconscious but she could not move Red in this shape. And she had to find Mary. Granny could smell more blood in the woods so she dreaded what she'd find.

There lay Tomkin the mayor, or what was left of him. He did not have armor like the knight did to protect his body, the Wolf had torn him apart.

"Granny!" Mary's voice came from above. Granny looked up, Mary was up in an oak tree looking even paler than before. "Granny! Red took her cloak off! It's over there." Mary pointed.

Granny grabbed up the cloak. "What happened? Wait, let me get this on Red first, then you can tell me what happened."

Granny did not wait for Mary's reply, she ran back to where she had left Red. The Wolf was whining and getting back on her feet. Granny noticed that besides the crossbow bolt in her leg she also had a deep slash in her side. That probably came from the knight. Granny threw the cloak over Red. The cloak sparkled and the form under it sshrunk to Red's size.

"Oh, gods!" Red exclaimed, sounding horrified.

Granny knelt and helped Red put her arms through the armholes and the hood over her head. She wanted to ask Red why she took off her cloak in the first place, but Red was so disoriented last time Granny did not want to distress her further.

"So much blood!" Red cried.

Little wonder there was so much blood, Red was laying on top of the deer she had been eating.

"It's all right, Red, it's just a deer." Granny assured her, helping Red stand up.

"Where's Snow?" Red asked. whipping her head back and forth. "Gods, I didn't kill Snow too, did I?"

"Red, calm down."

"I left her in a tree." Red said. "I remember killing Tomkin... I don't remember climbing."

"_Mary_ is in a tree." Granny peered over her glasses at her granddaughter.

Red was recovering much quicker this time. She ran into the trees. "Snow?"


	9. Chapter 9

_"Gods!"_ Red found what was left of Tomkin before she found Mary. Granny caught up to her granddaughter and gently turned her away from the Mayor's remains and lead her to the tree.

Mary handed down Red's bow and quiver of arrows, then Granny helped Mary down from the tree, the girl looked paler than ever and as badly shaken as Red.

"Red, are you okay?" Mary asked, though she looked afraid to get close to Red.

"Yeah." Red said shakily. "Did I get you?"

"No, you started to try but then you went after that knight. I saw him cut you with his sword."

"I'm not cut." Red said.

"Your side, it looked deep."

Red pulled back her cloak, ran her hand down her side, then her other side. Granny knew she could spend all night looking for injuries the Wolf had that she did not so she interrupted.

"I don't know how it works, all I know is that Wolves like us are hard to kill. Maybe it's because you trade bodies. You won't find any cuts, or even that arrow I shot you with."

"You _shot_ me?" Red exclaimed.

"She shot you last time too, silver tipped arrow, don't you remember?" Mary asked.

Red shook her head.

"You probably wouldn't because you're not you when you're the Wolf." Granny said. "_Why_ did you take off your cloak?"

"They were after Snow." Red said. "They were gonna kill her, cut out her heart."

"Er, yeah." Mary looked apologetic. "I'm Snow White. My stepmother wants to kill me, that's why I've been hiding."

"King Leopold's daughter?" Granny asked.

Snow nodded. "I'd hoped she already thought me dead or would let me alone if I stayed away. But I was wrong. One of her knights found me, your mayor was with him."

Normally Granny might have been more formal to a princess, but the girl had been sleeping in her kitchen for a month and became such close friends with Red she was like family. Granny knew this girl too well to be bowing and curtsying. Plus, there were things that had to be done. "We need to be moving. explain as we walk."

"Red and I ran and got away, but then we realized they would be going to your cottage." Snow stumbled as Granny swiftly led the girls to the road.

Red steadied Snow. "They were gonna kill Snow and Tomkin wanted to kill me, they would probably kill you if they couldn't get to me. So I had Snow climb a tree and then I took off my cloak... I remember killing Tomkin." Red closed her eyes. "I don't know if the knight-"

"You killed the knight too." Granny said gruffly. "But you had good reasons to. He's up the road a piece. We can hide his body but someone probably knew where he was going." Granny began dragging what was left of the deer carcass off the road. It was mostly just fur and bones, light and not too hard to move. She tossed it behind the brush. Granny could smell rain in the air, it would probably come by morning. Wash the blood off the road. Delay any searches for a missing Mayor or a wandering knight.

"I'm sorry." Snow apologized as they walked down the road towards the cottage. "This is all my fault. Maybe if I just turned myself in and told them you didn't know who I was-"

"You'd get yourself killed and everyone will still think Red summons the Wolf. Don't be stupid." Granny snapped. "Blame the damned fools who go around trying to cut girls' hearts out and get what's coming to them."

Snow fell silent.

* * *

"Why does she want to kill you?" Red asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know." Snow spoke like she had been holding it in for a long time and just wanted to get it all out. "She saved my life when we first met. I was on a runaway horse and she caught me. I guess that's why my father married her, because she cared about me and was not looking for a crown. She was in love with young man, but I guess after my father proposed he got scared of taking her from him and ran away... My father was an old man looking for a mother for me, not a wife. She seemed nice at first but she was never happy in the palace. My father ignored her and worshiped me, and he made it clear how much he still loved my mother. I guess she blames me for ruining her life."

"But she shouldn't want to kill you over that." Red said. "Didn't the King die a while ago? So she's free now-" Red stopped short when she saw the stricken look on Snow's face. The Palace, Court and royals had always been so far from where Red lived she forgot that they were real. The King Leopold Red had heard of dying a few months ago had not only been a real person, he was Snow's father. "I'm sorry." Red apologized.

"It was a stranger my father took into his court as a guest that killed him... But I know Regina was behind it now." Snow said, wiping her eyes. "I had thought... hoped she wasn't. But then she sent a Huntsman to kill me. If he didn't have pity on me I'd be dead. I gave him a letter to give Regina, telling her I saw my death as a sacrifice and asking her to rule fairly. I don't know if she ever got my letter or not."

They reached the dead knight. Red wanted to look away but Granny tucked her hands under his armpits and began dragging the body off the road.

"Help me move him." Granny grunted.

The dead knight was heavy in his armor but the three managed to drag him a couple yards from the road and left his body behind a tree. Red felt sick.

"Girl, you did what you had to. If you hadn't we'd all be dead." Granny said, her voice gentler than usual. She put a comforting arm around Red's shoulders and guided her back to the road. "You did the right thing."

Red just wished she could have come up with a way that would not have hurt anyone. "What are we going to do now?"

"We'll have to leave." Granny said.

"I'm really sorry-" Snow started again.

"They've made a connection between Red and the Wolf in the village. I had hoped it would blow over but at this point I can see that it hasn't." Granny said. "We would have had to leave sooner or later."

* * *

Only a month ago Red had been planning to leave. When she and Peter talked about running away together it sounded like an exciting adventure.

Now that Red was leaving her home with Granny and Snow it just seemed sad and scary.

They packed the essentials, couple changes of clothes, blankets, food, knives, a few cooking utensils. All was wrapped in oilcloth. Granny did not allow much time for Red to get emotional, once they were packed she hurried Red and Snow from the cottage and into the forest.

Dawn was still hours away when it began to rain.

It was just a cold light sprinkle at first, Red's cloak repelled most of the rainwater.

Then it became a downpour. The lantern Snow was holding was doused by the pouring rains. It was no use trying to relight it.

"I'm soaked through, Granny. Can't we go home and wait for the rain to let up?"

"We keep moving." Granny said. "This rain is what we need to wash out our tracks. Once they find the mayor and that knight dead we'll need all the head start we can get. We'll dry off when we get to the caves."

Red was already soaked to the skin and was so cold. She wanted to go back home, get dried off and crawl into bed. "Snow can't see in this dark." Red tried appealing for Snow White's benefit. "She's not meant for running in the woods like this."

"Our Princess has toughened up since leaving the palace. She'll survive this better than getting her heart cut out." Granny said roughly. "Lead her, follow me."

Snow looked every bit as wet and miserable as Red but she had a determined set to her jaw. "I'll be okay, Red." Snow said as she took Red's hand.

Granny was right, despite being a royal Snow was tough. She kept up with Red, she stumbled a few times but she did not complain.

The eastern sky was growing light when they finally reached the caves. Granny lead them into one of the larger caves, inside there was a little dry wood that Granny was able to make a fire out of. Red dropped her pack and flopped down on the ground, wet clothes and all, she was beat and wanted nothing so much as to sleep.

"Not yet, girl." Granny said sternly. "Get up and gather some more wood, what we have in here isn't going to last us and what you find is going to need to dry some."

Red wanted to cry. But she got back up and stumbled outside after Snow to gather a couple armfuls of branches. Finally Granny was satisfied that they had enough fuel and allowed them all to rest. Granny began cooking some food and heating water for tea.

The sun was up so Red took off her cloak and spread it near the fire so it would be dry by nightfall. Red peeled off her soaking wet clothes and changed into some dry clothes from her pack. The clothes were badly wrinkled but felt so much better. Red felt warm and pleasantly drowsy as she sipped on her tea. Granny passed out some fried eggs and bacon but Red was not very hungry. Probably because she had eaten nearly an entire deer as the Wolf.

Snow, on the other hand, ate like she was starving. Princesses evidently put aside table manners when they are ravenously hungry, in a cave and on the run. Red offered Snow what was left of her own breakfast and Snow was too hungry to refuse.

Red finished her tea then curled up in a blanket. As she dozed she heard Granny and Snow also settling down in their blankets around the fire.

"Red? Are you awake?" Snow asked just as Red was dozing off.

"Hmm?" Red mumbled sleepily.

"Thank you for saving me back there." Snow said.

Red tried to reply but fell asleep instead.


	10. Chapter 10

Red woke up feeling stiff and sore. Her hair was still wet, and had tangled while she slept. Red was not feeling very happy as she groggily crawled out from under her blankets and checked to make sure her clothes were dry before getting dressed. Even more importantly her cloak was dry, Red draped it over her knees as she worked at the tangles in her hair with a comb. Snow continued to sleep, but Granny woke up and stoked up the fire to make tea and fry some bacon.

"What are we going to do now?" Red asked Granny.

"We'll rest here until the rain lets up." Granny said as the bacon began to sizzle. "Then we'll go deeper into the woods, so far that we won't have to worry about anyone finding us. There was an abandoned cottage, it's probably still empty if it's still standing."

"Snow too?"

"There's enough room for her."

"No." Snow was blinking sleepily. "It'll be better if we split up."

"You can stay with us." Red had known her friend would have to leave eventually but hated to say goodbye.

"I know I could, but I shouldn't." Snow sat up, her black hair a wild mess that made Red feel better about the state of her own hair. "We both have people after us. Now that the mayor is dead and you left your home, the villagers will forget about you unless you draw attention to yourself. Maybe you can even move into another village someday. But the Queen is not going to stop coming after me until I'm dead... It's easier for one person to disappear than three." Snow smiled. "You taught me how to hunt, I won't starve to death out there."

"You're right, Snow." Granny agreed, "But that doesn't mean we can never see each other again. Come with us to the cottage, then we'll help you find your own shelter."

The plan made Red feel better. They ate as the rain pattered outside the cave.

* * *

"The important thing is that it's still standing and no one else has moved in." Granny said.

Red gave the cottage a doubtful look and Granny did not blame her. Much of the thatch had rotted away, a few spindly saplings had taken root on the roof, one wall sagged outward, and many of the shutters were coming off or gone altogether.

"It will need a lot of work but it will do, at least winter is behind us." Granny assured her granddaughter.

As Granny moved ahead to go inside and heard Red mutter to Snow in an undertone: _"You're right, you will be better off on your own after all."_

The door was still in good shape, thick sturdy oak and well made. The hinges creaked as Granny went inside. It looked much better on the inside than the outside, though critters like mice and squirrels had been making themselves at home for several years. There was a table, a few stools that looked like they could still take weight. The cupboard had come off the wall, but there were still dishes inside. Granny looked at the fireplace and wondered if the chimney was clear enough to build a fire.

Snow ventured inside, followed by Red.

"We'll stay in the kitchen tonight." Granny said since she knew this room was habitable. "Until the rest of the place gets fixed up."

* * *

Snow chose to help clean up the kitchen and spend the night at the cottage. Red had taken a look at the rest of the cottage and thought the cave would be a better place to live, but Granny insisted the cottage would be fine after it was fixed up, and they **could** fix it up.

The chimney was deemed safe so a fire was built in the fireplace. Granny snored softly as Red and Snow sat by the hearth, blankets wrapped over their shoulders and cooling cups of tea in their hands.

"Are you going to hide in the woods for the rest of your life?" Red asked.

"I'm not going after my crown if that's what you want to ask me."

"But you're the King's daughter and the Queen-"

"-has probably framed me for killing him." Snow said. "As long as the people are treated fairly I don't care who rules."

"I think you'd make a better queen."

_"I'm not going to be queen."_ The sharp way Snow said it made Red drop the subject. They sat in silence for a moment, broken by the rattle of Red's spoon as she awkwardly stirred her tea. Snow's face softened. "It will be best if I keep out of sight, no one will get hurt including me. I'll hide in these woods until I have enough gold saved up so I can go to another kingdom where she won't be able to go after me."

"How are you going to go about getting gold?" Red asked.

"Still working that out." Snow admitted. "I'll probably be hiding in this forest for a long time." Snow finished her tea, then curled up on the floor to get some sleep. "Goodnight."

Red sat up for a while. Despite all the traveling and work on the cottage she did not feel as tired as she should be. She did not feel like sleeping yet. Red pulled up the hood of her cloak to make sure it was on, then slipped outside.

Wolfstime was not over yet, the moon was still full and bright. It was tempting to take off the cloak, let the Wolf out for a couple hours, hunt and run through the woods.

But Red was not going to risk anyone lives. So she sat down on a stump and listened to the night life.

* * *

A giant tree had been felled ages ago. The hollowed out trunk was so big Snow could step inside with barely ducking her head. Some animals had hibernated in the tree trunk over the winter but had abandoned it. What was important was that no humans had been around it.

"This is perfect." Red admired Snow's potential hideout. "No one ever comes by here. Just cover the opening to keep out the wind and rain."

"I was thinking of putting some vines over the entrance, so in case anyone does come by they won't notice it." Snow's voice echoed from the trunk.

"That's even better." Red stepped into the tree trunk.

Red helped Snow clean out the tree.

"I'd better head back, Granny will start to worry." Red said, noticing the sun starting to sink over the west. "Are you coming?"

"I think I'll start getting used to this place." Snow said. "I'll be all right."

"Okay... You know where we are if you need anything or change your mind." Red left the tree and followed her back trail back to the cottage in the woods.

* * *

**So that ends it. I wanted to finish this story before "Child of the Moon" airs next week, and I'm expecting to see the promo tonight and feared I'd not be able to write anymore after seeing it. Like with my Unplanned two-shot that I consider complete but everyone wants me to continue, I'm a coward when it comes with competing with the real show. By next week this whole fic will probably become AU. Maybe if I get enough ego-inflating reviews I'll write more or start a new fic. (Not until next month or later, I'm doing NaNoWriMo.) **

**A couple weeks ago I extended the first chapter of this fic to include more Granny, go check it out. Maybe if I feel inspired I'll rewrite more chapters for more Granny, she is fun to write. **


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